Positive temperature co-efficient (PTC) heating elements are widely used in electrical appliances due to their safe self regulating temperature characteristics.
A PTC heating elements comprising a ceramic stone, typically of doped polycrystalline ceramics based on Barium Titanate, which produces heat when subjected to an electrical voltage. The ceramic stone can produce in a variety of different shapes and sizes through a process of blending, milling, drying and sintering. Metallised contacts are applied to the ceramic in order to facilitate the application with electrical voltage. When electrical voltage is applied to the ceramic it heats up very quickly and plateaus at a predetermined reference temperature. Hitherto, PTC elements have been made for electrical appliances by wrapping the metallised ceramic in insulating tape and crimping it within an aluminium sleeve. Heat from the ceramic is transferred to the aluminium sleeve.